Bill > A2691

This bill increases the monthly personal needs allowance for low-income individuals receiving medical assistance and residing in certain facilities, such as rooming or boarding houses, residential health care facilities, and special hospitals (defined as facilities providing specialized diagnosis, care, treatment, and rehabilitation for specific patient categories), from a previous minimum of $25.00 or $35.00 to $140.00. This allowance is for individuals who are eligible for medical assistance under the New Jersey Medical Assistance and Health Services Act (often referred to as Medicaid) but are not eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. Furthermore, starting January 1st of the year following the bill's enactment and annually thereafter, this $140.00 allowance will automatically increase by the same percentage as the cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security benefits, ensuring it keeps pace with inflation. The bill also clarifies how this allowance interacts with SSI benefits, aiming to ensure the total monthly benefit for eligible individuals reaches $140.00, and outlines the process for applying for necessary federal approvals and adopting regulations to implement these changes, with the provisions related to the allowance increase taking effect immediately upon receiving federal approval.